Comfort rooms are one place we Pinoys do not really want to go to, but just find ourselves making a habit out of. And we choose to make it clean, fearful we might not be able to get a good one the next time around.
Come to think of it, however, comfort rooms could be the least of our worries. Science, at least the science we have now, has shown us that there are a lot of tools we could be using everyday that are just plain dirtier. If we only had microscopic eyes.
Oh yes, I nearly forgot. The data here are mostly involving studies in the Western side of the globe. Last I look is the more affluent one.
#10: ICE
Yes, ice. It may look crystal-clear and utterly unsuspecting. But truth to tell, it is in fact a major breeding ground for microorganisms. No less than JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) came out with the verdict.
As observed, ice is prune to be soiled being transported on dirty floors and carried by dirty human hands. And as what usually happens, most ice are but frozen water out of tap, a source that has many unfiltered particles.
• Experts agree that in America: “70% of the time, ice served in fast food restaurants across had more bacteria than toilet water found in most households.” Now if America’s ice is unclean, how much more that of the Philippines.
#9: Tables and Desks
You might think that all those desks used by children in grade school are clean. Or for that matter those tables used for business meetings.
But look again, tables attract more germs than your comfy comfort room because of the excessive amount of time hands are placed on them. Talk about small pox, measles and flu. And when was the last time you cleaned one? I’d bet not even once a year.
• Experts approximate there are 400 times more microorganisms (e.g., bacteria and germs) in tables and desks than your CR
#8: COMPUTER KEYBOARDS
Ok. You could get skeptical. But experience will tell you keyboards gets cleaned a lot lesser than your ordinary CR. Right? Unless you’re living in the woods. And we’re not counting our words for it but those in the cleaning business.
• “Keyboards contain 70 percent more bacteria than a toilet seat.” – Master Cleaners Ltd
• Norovirus was first detected on a computer keyboard according to Center for Disease.
#7: CELL PHONES
Again, your natural gut will yell what? But take a closer look at smartphones and tablets. You bring them to almost every conceivable place and use them even when your hands are not dirt-free (to speed things up). Unless you’re one beautiful princess with all the attendants.
• 10 times more bacteria than your CR seat
• In British media it was reported that “of a total of 90 devices tested, there were over six hundred individual organisms of Staphylococcus aureus found on the surface of a cell phone.”
#6: KITCHEN CHOPPING BOARDS
This one may not come as a surprise. With all the dirty leftovers found on a chopping board, microorganisms should call it home. But that’s not all. These boards are left out for hours on end. That right there is golden chance for bacteria to grow and flourish. Because of this, it is said that it would be safer to prepare meat on your CR seat than on these boards.
• “There are 200 times more fecal bacteria on cutting boards than on an actual toilet seat” – FDA
#5: TOOTHBRUSHES
For starters, toothbrushes are like your trash cans ending up with all the food bacteria left in your mouth that could last for days, eventually serving as the perfect breeding place for these microbes to grow. And if you store them inside your CR, they could be host to many airborne feces particles that fly 6 feet away when you flush. Yuck!
And yes, when was the last time you actually spent time cleaning your brushes? Nada is a common answer.
• On average toothbrushes harbor around 10 million microbes (e.g., influenza viruses, herpes, and bacteria that can lead to gum disease and cavities)
#4: TV REMOTES
Your very own household remote may come out safe but hotel remotes are a different story. Held by hundreds of strange hands, you could be holding something that is a ticking time bomb.
Making matters worse, room boys who do the cleaning seldom spend enough time disinfecting these handy viewing tools – given that they spend on average 30 minutes per room to clean up.
• 67.6 colony-forming units of bacteria are said to reside in these hotel remotes
#3:MATTRESSES
Here’s the scary thought: old mattresses that have been used for 10 years weighed twice more than when it was but new. You see, over time dust mites together with dead skin cells not to mention bacteria and germs gets buried deep into the sleeping tool. That’s if you’re talking about your own mattresses.
How about those used by hotels? It was found out that hotels never bother changing their mattresses allowing thousands of travelers to use the same units, changing only bed sheets and pillow cases from one customer to another. That’s if they bother to purchase a new one from the start. Because some chose to buy reconditioned one. Ugh!
#2: MONEY
A stunning study by a University of London professor Dr. Ron Cutler showed that out of 200 bills there were 26 notes that harbor unhealthy concentrations of bacteria. With it E. coli virus was discovered, as well as Staphyloccusaurenus.
• Single paper bill is said to contain 6.4 times more bacteria than readings from your everyday CR.
#1: KITCHEN SPONGES
And the most seemingly innocuous of these A-lister: kitchen sponges.Yes, you’d think as a cleaning agent these sponges are free of harm. Think again. A medical director named Roxanne B. Sukol divulged that these sponges contain approximately 10 million individual bacteria organisms per square inch.
Why? For the simple reason that when they are used to clean off food particles, most of these items get attached and are not dislodged in time. The result: perfect breeding ground for bacteria and other harmful microorganisms.
• Kitchen sponges can be 200,000 times dirtier than your regular CR seat surface
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